This invention relates to dental models, and more particularly to a protective carrier for securely retaining a dental model therein.
In the production of tooth crowns, bridges and other dental prostheses, it is a general dental procedure to form a model for use in the formation of the prosthesis. The production of such dental model requires many complex and time consuming steps. It usually begins with an imprint of the prepared teeth and related portions. The imprint is then filled with a special plaster mass from which mold cavities can be formed. The production is quite involved requiring effort both by the dentist and the laboratory where transportation, storage, shipping and movement of the dental model is usually necessary. Care must therefore be taken to prevent impairing the dental model which would require additional time and effort to replace. The model, which is usually stone, must be maintained in a usable condition without any cracking or chipping thereof.
Dental models usually include special keying arrangements to permit frequent removal and insertion of the dental model and sections thereof into a die tray. The key arrangements are cast into the pedestal portion of the dental model to permit proper seating of the dental model, thereby avoiding any damaging of the model.
There is, accordingly, a need for a protective device or carrier which can hold the dental model during storage and transport. The carrier must be one that can accommodate any keyed arrangement cast into the dental model, so that the dental model will appropriately fit into the carrier and be properly seated.
While the protective carrier must be one that will retain the dental model in place, at the same time, it must facilitate removal of the dental model when the model must be worked on or used for further processing.